Pro tip: I just read that the average elevator cable has over 200 individual steel wires per strand, which is way more than I thought.

I found that stat in an old spec sheet from a manufacturer in Cincinnati, and it makes me check my visual inspections a lot closer now, anyone else have a good method for spotting early wire fatigue?

2 comments

2 Comments

robin8361mo ago

That's a wild detail. Makes you think about all the hidden engineering in everyday stuff.

ross.angela1mo ago

My uncle worked on the old streetcars in Toronto. He said they'd find hairline cracks in the wheel mounts by tapping them with a wrench and listening for a dull sound. Different pitch meant trouble.